A Will Sovereign Chapter 22: Chapter 22— Arrival at the summit of Martial Peak.

Read chapter 22 of A Will Sovereign by Sloche on NovelPedia.

----- Night had long since fallen over the Great Ten Thousand Mountains. Soldret had originally planned to spend the next two days resting. The guards at the academy gate had clearly stated that the Martial Peak Assessment would begin in two days. So after entering a nearby mountain lodge, he rented a simple room and settled in for the night. The room was basic — a wooden bed, a table, and a chair. Nothing more. Seeing this, Soldret couldn't help wondering why he had paid so much for such modest accommodations. Still, after the long journey, even a poor bed felt like a luxury. He tossed down his luggage and collapsed onto it. The inn was quiet. Before long, sleep claimed him. --- Some time later, Soldret suddenly felt something. His instincts screamed. His eyes snapped open. The first thing he saw was a massive hand wrapped around his waist. The second was the rapidly shrinking ground beneath him. "…WHAT?!" Cold mountain wind slammed against his face. His body hung sideways like a sack of luggage while a gigantic figure sprinted through the sky, carrying him under one arm. **BOOM!!** The mountain shook as the giant landed briefly on a cliff face, then shot upward again. Soldret's mind went blank. This wasn't flying. This was worse. The man was literally jumping from mountain to mountain. Each leap covered distances that would take ordinary practitioners hours to cross. The clouds rushed past. The ground grew smaller and smaller. He had never been this high before. He was also genuinely baffled at how this giant had grabbed him without him noticing. Even ARC hadn't reacted. The only reason he woke up at all was because of the freezing wind. For the first time in a very long while, Soldret felt genuinely terrified. The massive figure glanced down at him. "Hm? You're awake." Then he laughed. "Hahaha! Good." Soldret opened his mouth, then immediately closed it as the giant jumped again. The air exploded around them. Soldret felt like his soul was trying to leave his body. A few minutes later, the giant finally landed. **THUD.** The entire summit trembled slightly. Soldret staggered backward the moment he was released, his legs unstable. The giant ignored him and stretched lazily. Only now did Soldret get a proper look at him. The man was enormous — nearly three meters tall. His body resembled a walking mountain, dense muscle stretched beneath simple martial robes. Long white hair flowed down his back, and his beard reached his chest. One eye appeared to have been completely burnt through. Despite his age, he radiated overwhelming vitality, like an ancient primal beast disguised as a human. Then another figure entered Soldret's vision. Soldret froze. "..." The young man standing nearby blinked, then smiled — a familiar smile. One Soldret had seen countless times in the fragmented memories. Though younger. More relaxed. Far more alive. Golden-white hair rested loosely behind his head. He looked only slightly older than San Zheng. "Zephyr…" The name escaped before Soldret could stop it. The young man raised an eyebrow. "Oh? You know me?" Soldret's heart skipped a beat. For the first time, he was standing before someone from those fragments. The shock slowly settled as he realized exactly where he was. **Martial Peak.** --- Meanwhile, Soldret finally took in his surroundings properly and became surprised. The summit was far simpler than he had imagined. He had expected towering halls and grand arenas. Instead, it felt almost empty. A vast training ground stretched across the center, near a modest bamboo courtyard surrounding a single bamboo residence. Beyond that lay only endless bamboo forests and open mountain land. Far in the distance, barely noticeable, stood another small bamboo residence on a separate section of the summit. Simple. Almost unbelievably simple. Yet that simplicity made the mountain feel even larger — as though the entirety of Martial Peak existed for only a handful of people, with every empty stretch waiting for f